Gifts from above and those around us

You know... I just can't believe how generous people are when there is a need.  This Swaziland Library thing has just become such a witness of God's provision.

First of all, when this all started in October, 2009, Campbell & I had no idea what we were doing.  He said, "You know we don't know what we're doing,eh?"  I agreed and then he said, "We'll just have to keep telling people and asking people until someone knows something."  So, that's what we've done.

A former principal and friend is part of the I.Can Foundation.  She has been building little libraries in Brazil for about 6 years now.  So, she was an obvious person to ask.  However, her expertise is at the other end in training and she had never collected and sent a container before.  My church has Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Canada, and they do have experience in that.  They helped us co-ordinate that and guided us through the mounds of paperwork to satisfy Revenue Canada Agency.  We soon recognized that we'd need some sort of manner of cataloguing.  A co-worker researched that and found a great library software package and our District Youth Council purchased it for us.

As the books started to be collected, it wasn't long before a space was needed.  A man, that owned space downtown Cambridge donated 1100 square feet of space heated and lit.  We needed boxes to pack boxes, Staples donated those.  We needed library supplies and I.Can Foundation, Brodart & Carr McLean donated that.  We needed a computer when ours crashed and Hagey Computers came in and worked their technical magic and got us up and running again

We needed volunteers to help sort, catalogue, pack and they just kept on coming!   When we go back to see how much was spent out of our fundraised dollars to do the administrative side of things, we really only had to spend money on the internet connection and some ink refills.

Great cloth bags donated today!

So it's no surprise this next phase of the Library Project has generous givers.  Someone is supporting us through a 1200 foot warehouse space that is being leased for a period of time for us.  This is prime real estate and isn't cheap!  Earlier this week, we had someone with some shelving to donate.  Yesterday, I got a call from Jacquie Rashleigh with an offer of three computers to go to Swaziland after we are done using them.  Today, a supportive parent came in with cloth bags that she'd made and wondered if they'd make good book bags.  They were pretty cool!  I thought we should sell them here to raise funds for the J.A.W.S. books.  If there are any left over, we'll send them.  How thoughtful is that????  I was sitting here tonight when a person from my church is getting new furniture at her place of employment and they are willing to donate desks, credenzas and filing cabinets!

I'm always in awe of the fact that people are so giving.  Most of these people don't even know me personally and are just so willing to help children and teachers so far away.  I wonder if they recognize that God is using them too.  He is using them to respond to a need in our world to care for His children.  I still think it is absolutely crazy that He uses me in this way too.  I am just grateful I can be useful.